ALESIS ANNOUNCES PALMTRACK HANDHELD SD RECORDER

Cumberland, R.I. (Jan. 14, 2010) – Alesis, a leading manufacturer of professional audio equipment and studio electronics, announces the PalmTrack handheld SD recorder. Alesis will introduce the PalmTrack at the 2010 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, booth 6400, January 14–17.

Musicians can record stereo or surround audio directly to an SD or SDHC card up to 16GB with the pocket-sized PalmTrack. They can capture live sound anywhere and anytime without a single cable. The PalmTrack is perfect for recording quality sound in a wide variety of settings from rehearsals, jam sessions, and gigs to conferences, lectures, and classes to interviews and meetings.

Recording with the PalmTrack is easy and flexible. Users simply insert the included batteries and SD card and press record. They can monitor while recording in headphones and watch the real-time level meters, or just switch on Auto Mic Gain and let the PalmTrack take the hassle out of recording. When they’re done recording, they can listen on the PalmTrack’s built-in speaker, using headphones, connecting the PalmTrack to a Mac or PC with its mini USB jack or by removing the SD card and inserting it into their computer’s SD card slot or reader.

While tracking, musicians can easily tell that the PalmTrack is recording thanks to its red Record light. They can switch the mics’ gain from high to low with the left-side switch, and they can adjust the input level with the up and down buttons on the right.

Musicians can choose between 44.1kHz and 48kHz sample rates, select an MP3 bitrate from 64kbps to 320kbps for maximum recording time, or choose uncompressed 16-bit or 24-bit WAV for broadcast-quality recording. For all-in-one recording, the PalmTrack has four microphones housed in its protective grille. Users can select two mics for stereo pickup pattern, four mics for 360-degree pickup pattern, plug their own mic into the PalmTrack’s 1/8-inch mic input or any line-level source into its 1/8-inch line input.

The PalmTrack also gives users powerful processing onboard, including bass compensation for reducing the proximity effect in close-mic’d situations, as well as Chorus, Pitch Shift, Delay, and Reverb settings for adding flavor and creative effects to their recordings’ playback. There’s also an MP3 voice-cancelling mode that enables musicians to remove vocals from MP3s and a handy tuner.

The PalmTrack has a bright OLED display that shows blue-on-black text and metering information clearly even in a dark club. It is powered by the two included AA batteries, or can utilize an optional power adapter. A 1/4"-20 threaded mounting point enables users to mount the PalmTrack on a mic stand with the optional ProTrack Adapter, on a table with the optional ProTrack Tripod table stand, or on a camera tripod for hands-free tracking.

“There’s no more convenient way to capture stereo audio onto an SD card,” said Adam Cohen, Director of Business Development, Alesis. “With the PalmTrack, you’re always ready to roll.”

The PalmTrack will be available from musical instrument and pro audio retailers February 2010.